Sun chamomile, as they also call gaillardia a perennial, quite popular plant that came to us from America. She fell in love with many gardeners for her unpretentiousness in care and attractive appearance. In this article you will find information about perennial gaillardia, landing and caring for which will give you exceptional pleasure. And we will start by exploring this bright and beautiful flower.
Description of Gaillardia perennial
A flowering plant of this genus has several names that are similar to each other - gaillardia, gaillardia and gaillardia. The perennial flower garden belongs to the Astrov family and is considered a drought tolerant plant. The name of the family was given in honor of Judge Gaillard, who is fond of botany.
Perennial gailardia is a rather small bush, the height of which varies from 25 to 70 centimeters, depending on the variety. The branched stem is abundantly covered with leaves, the shape of which resembles a scapula. The surface of the leaves is covered with small hairs. Bright double flowers have a diameter of 10 to 15 centimeters. Gailardia blooms profusely and for a long time throughout the summer until the autumn frosts. The color scheme is quite diverse - from pale yellow and orange to red and brick. On one shrub, most often you can find flowers of various colors. Basically, the edges of the petals have a lighter color than the middle of the flower. Attractive in these plants and a long period of preservation of decorative qualities after cutting. Gailardia perennial is completely unpretentious in leaving.
Popular varieties
Today, about 25 varieties of perennial gaillardia are known. In this section, we will consider the most popular and beautiful varieties of this flowering perennial.
Hybrid gaillardia was obtained by crossing the main variety - beautiful gaillardia - with other varieties of the plant. Some hybrids are so similar to each other that only an experienced gardener can distinguish them. Hybrid varieties are 20-30 centimeters higher than usual, as well as pubescent lanceolate leaves. Terry flowers (mainly red and yellow) appear in early summer. Among the undersized varieties suitable for creating live borders and pot planting, we can distinguish:
- Arizona San is a dwarf variety whose bushes do not exceed 20 centimeters. It is characterized by abundant and long flowering, lasting until the first frost.
- Primavera - the height of the bushes does not exceed 25 centimeters, one rosette is formed from 7-8 large peduncles.
The most popular varieties having larger sizes of bush and flowers are:
- Kobold - branched stems of this bush reach 40 centimeters. Large flowers of orange color have a yellow fringing.
- Burgundy - richly red, almost wine inflorescences reach a diameter of 12 centimeters.
- Sonne - the height of the bush reaches 60 centimeters, the flowers have a double color: golden and dark yellow.
In addition to hybrid, spinous varieties of gaillardia are widely used. This variety has rather tall bushes - about 70 centimeters. The most popular varieties of spinous gaillardia are:
- Dazzler - bright red flowers with an orange edging.
- Wirral Flame - the dark color of the central part of the flower gradually turns into a bright yellow border.
- Croftway Yellow - the entire inflorescence has a uniform and delicate yellow hue;
- Mandarin - the original shade of bright orange baskets with smooth transitions in yellow shades. Flowers of this variety are quite lush and large.
Gaillardia in landscape design
When decorating various flower beds, flower beds and creating flower arrangements, the brightness of colors and the variety of varieties of gailardia are taken into account. Experienced landscape designers skillfully combine the warm and sunny shades of these flowers with other ornamental plants. Due to its active and long flowering, as well as bright colors, gailardia is often used to create live borders and composition flower beds.
Especially popular are varieties with two- or three-color baskets, which form a kind of ring, shading the central dark disk of the flower. Bright bushes of Gaillardia remarkably shade various green shrubs and lawns. Perennial can be grown both in open ground and in various flowerpots. Often combine different varieties of gailardia in one flower arrangement.
The most successful combination is obtained with the joint cultivation of gaillardia with chamomile, asparagus and nivyanik. In addition, these flowers look great in bouquets (for this purpose they do not use a low-growing perennial gaillardia). Many decorators and florists use faded plants to decorate bouquets and interiors. Terry ball-seeds are dried and used to create various decorative compositions.
Lighting requirements
To grow perennial gailardia flowers, you should choose a place well-lit by the sun. It is also important that the site is well protected from drafts. The landing area should be open to sunlight, and the flowers should be lit as long as possible. You should not plant flowers in the shade, as the plant will be weak, and the color of the flowers will become pale and unattractive.
Soil selection
According to reviews of perennial gailardia, the soil for cultivation should be light, loose and fertile. The most preferred option is sandy land. On loam and soil with increased acidity, a weaker development of the plant is noted. In addition, you should not fertilize the soil for planting this plant with manure. To organize more comfortable conditions, it is permissible to introduce a small amount of wood ash and river sand into the soil. The most important condition for planting a plant is the presence of a good drainage layer. It is also important to transplant the plant every 5-6 years with the addition of fresh soil.
Seed propagation
Among novice gardeners, the most popular method of propagation is seed. For this, seed is harvested in the fall, and planted in late February or the first half of March. Gailardia seeds are sown for many years in a spacious container filled with a nutrient mixture. You should not deepen the planting material - it is enough to distribute the seeds on the soil surface at a distance of 1-2 centimeters from each other, and then sprinkle with a thin layer of sand. Humidification of the seeds is carried out using a spray gun. After that, the container is covered with film or glass and sent to a warm and well-lit place.
Every day, the shelter is removed for 4-5 hours to air the seedlings. But do not allow the soil to dry out. With the advent of the first shoots, the film is removed, and the container is transferred to a cooler and wetter place. Perennial gailardia perennial produced after the growth of sprouts and the appearance of 2-3 leaves. Transplanted seedlings either in a more spacious container, or in separate cups. Landing is carried out with the onset of warm weather - in May. In this case, the distance between landings should be at least 20 centimeters, and between rows - at least 30 centimeters. To get thicker bushes in one hole, it is permissible to plant 2-4 seedlings.
Vegetative propagation
For this method of propagation of perennial gailardia, an adult bush is used, whose age does not exceed five years. The mother bush is dug up in early spring and is divided into several parts with a sharp knife or a shovel so that each part has a good root system and healthy shoots. Each part is landed in separate pre-prepared wells. It is recommended to divide the bush into no more than five parts for better plant survival and development. The vegetative method of propagation allows you to save all the decorative qualities of the mother bush, whether it is the color of the flowers or the size of the bush. That is why the division of the bush is considered the most preferred method of reproduction while maintaining the species characteristics of the plant.
There is another kind of vegetative propagation - cuttings. For this, after digging an adult bush, the most powerful and healthy root is selected, from which planting material is subsequently cut (the length of the cuttings is about 5-6 centimeters). Cuttings root in a greenhouse or greenhouse.
Watering
After planting gailardia for many years, care for it consists mainly in competent watering. Since these flowers do not tolerate increased soil moisture, moderate watering should be organized. Basically, the plant is quite enough rainwater. But in long periods of dry summers, gaillardia is watered every 8-10 days. Each bush requires no more than five liters of warm, settled water.
Top dressing
In order to prolong flowering and make it brighter, perennial gailardia should be fed in a timely manner. As top dressings, complex mineral preparations and rotted humus or compost are used. The first fertilizer application is carried out during the formation of the buds, the second time the flowers are fed at the peak of flowering, and the third feeding is final and is carried out a month before the onset of frost, in preparation for winter. Top dressing is applied exclusively with watering - this way fertilizers will not burn delicate plants and are better distributed in the soil.
Garter
The cultivation of perennial gailardia involves not only standard care procedures (watering and top dressing), but also tying large and heavy flowers. For this, at the very beginning of flowering, a future support should be prepared. You can make it from a wooden peg or plastic tubes that will protect the bush from breaking flower stalks and shoots.
If you plan to grow a gaillardia in a composition with more powerful and stronger colors, then it is not necessary to build a support. In this case, the garter is carried out only at your request.
Winter preparations
3-4 weeks before the alleged onset of frost, perennial gaillards begin to be prepared for winter. The procedure consists in cutting peduncles, removing wilted shoots and applying fertilizers. These actions will allow the plant to grow stronger and build up a root system that can tolerate cold. In addition, removing old shoots and peduncles, you will help the plant stock up on nutrients.
In general, gaillardia is considered a rather frost-resistant plant that can withstand even strong and prolonged frosts. However, to provide additional protection, cover the bush with a small layer of peat or dry leaves. With the advent of spring, shelter must be removed so that the plant does not begin to spawn and develops faster.
Diseases and Pests
Most often, perennial gaillardia is exposed to various fungal diseases - powdery mildew, gray rot and spotting. This is due to increased soil moisture. To protect the flowers from these diseases, it is important to observe the irrigation regime and try not to overmoisten the soil. If infected bushes are found, they should be immediately cleaned of damaged leaves, and healthy parts of the plant should be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. With a significant defeat, potassium permanganate treatment may not be enough, therefore, colloidal sulfur and Bordeaux fluid are used. If the bush does not respond to treatment, then it must be completely dug up and burned.
The main pests of sun chamomile are aphids and whiteflies, which damage leaves and stems. Actellik and Decis preparations help fight them. Processing should be carried out at the slightest sign of infection of the plant with harmful insects.